[or-roots] Pentagon announces creation of Korean Defense Service Medal

[Eugene Melvin]

FYI
Eugene Melvin
SW Portland, Oregon

February 10, 2004

Pentagon announces creation of Korean Defense Service Medal

By Vince Crawley
Times staff writer


After more than a year of behind-the-scenes work, the Pentagon announced Feb. 6 the creation of a medal honoring the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have served in South Korea since the Korean War ended. 
Congress ordered the creation of the Korean Defense Service Medal in the 2003 Defense Authorization Act, which President Bush signed into law Dec. 2, 2002. 

Until that legislation was enacted, the Pentagon's official position had been that a specific medal was unnecessary for post-armistice service in Korea. Most campaign medals are awarded for wartime service. 

The new medal is intended "to give special recognition for the sacrifices and contributions made by members of the U.S. armed forces who have served or are serving in the Republic of Korea," the Defense Department said in a prepared statement. 

The period of service to qualify for the medal begins July 28, 1954, and continues "to a future date to be determined by the secretary of defense," the statement said. 

To be eligible, service members must have been assigned, attached or mobilized to units operating in the area of eligibility for at least 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days. The area of eligibility is defined as "all land area of the Republic of Korea and the contiguous water out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces above the land and water areas." 

Those who don't meet the 30- or 60-day requirement still may be eligible, if they: 

 Were "engaged in actual combat during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the area of eligibility." 

 Were "wounded or injured in the line of duty" and required "medical evacuation from the area of eligibility." 

 Participated "as a regularly assigned air crewmember flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the area of eligibility in support of military operations." Each day that one or more sorties were flown counts toward the 30- or 60-day requirement. 

The medal may be awarded posthumously, but no more than once to any individual. 

The Defense Department said each service will write its own regulations for processing and awarding the new medal, to include procedures for veterans, retirees and next-of-kin to apply. 

Each year, more than 40,000 Americans serve in South Korea or its nearby waters. The Korean War cease-fire was agreed to in July 1953, but democratic South Korea technically remains in a state of war with communist North Korea. Tensions along the demilitarized zone, or DMZ, flared all through the Cold War and most recently intensified in 2002 when the North acknowledged it was developing nuclear weapons in violation of a 1994 disarmament agreement. 

According to congressional language accompanying the law, about 1,200 U.S. service members "have died as a direct result of service in Korea" since July 1953. 
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